Emergency Powers Should Expire Like Milk

Be very mindful when a government does not provide an exact date for when emergency powers or declarations will end.

Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020, under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act. This declaration is more of a “determination” that a public health crisis exists, often used as a signal to other areas of the government, specifically the Executive branch. The HHS declaration lasts a maximum of 90 days. If the…